By Bakary Ceesay
Gambian kora virtuoso Sona Jobarteh is expected to perform on May 27, 2026, at the Filderstadt Philharmonic Orchestra venue on Tübingen Street 40 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The concert is organised by Warriors Ina Dance, with partners including Gambian journalist and cultural entrepreneur Bakary Ceesay, based in Germany.
Jobarteh, widely regarded as one of the leading contemporary interpreters of Mandinka music, is a kora player, singer and composer known for blending traditional West African sounds with modern influences such as soul, jazz and Afropop.
In her performances, she is expected to present a mix of cultural storytelling and instrumental mastery, drawing from the griot tradition while engaging international audiences.
Born in London, Jobarteh is from one of the five principal kora-playing griot families of West Africa and is recognised as the first female professional kora player from a griot lineage to gain international prominence.
She is the granddaughter of kora virtuoso Amadu Bansang Jobarteh and a cousin of celebrated kora musician Toumani Diabaté. She is also the sister of musician Tunde Jegede.
Jobarteh began learning the kora at an early age under the guidance of her brother and later her father, Sanjally Jobarteh. She studied music at the Royal College of Music and the Purcell School of Music in London, and later obtained a degree from SOAS University of London.
Her musical career includes early performances at London’s Jazz Café and collaborations with several orchestras and international artists, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Oumou Sangaré, and Damon Albarn’s Mali Music project.
She has released albums including Afro-Acoustic Soul and Fasiya, and has also worked in film composition, notably scoring the documentary Motherland in 2009.
Jobarteh has also been involved in music education initiatives, including teaching the kora in London and contributing to the establishment of a music school in The Gambia.
She is widely regarded for her efforts to preserve and reinterpret the griot tradition while expanding its global reach
